The 360 degree leaders are bound to face the below mentioned seven challenges. It is not an easy task to lead from the middle. They face so much toughness/resistance from all over and there will be a heavy need of balancing their emotions. This happens mainly because all others than the 360s will not have a thought process as these guys and for them, it will be difficult to understand how a man can have this good thought process about everything.
1. Challenge #1: The Tension Challenge
2. Challenge #2: The Frustration Challenge
3. Challenge #3: The Multi-hat Challenge
4. Challenge #4: The Ego Challenge
5. Challenge #5: The Fulfillment Challenge
6. Challenge #6: The Vision Challenge
7. Challenge #7: The Influence Challenge
The Tension Challenge:
The pressure of being caught in the middle (p. 25) This section is summed up by ―the pressure of feeling like you have all power and no power‖ (p. 25). You are not running the show but are responsible for it. You don’t have the authority to make changes on your own and this can make you feel as if you are caught in the middle.
There are 5 factors that impacts the tension of the leader:
1. Empowerment—answers how much authority and responsibility the person above you provides you? How clear are these lines?
2. Initiative—answers how can you balance your initiative while not overstepping your boundaries?
3. Environment– Assess your environment. Can you work in an this environment?
4. Job Parameters– answers how well do you know your job? How well can you do your job?
5. Appreciation—answers can you live without receiving the credit?
How can you relieve the Tension Challenge?
1. Become comfortable with the middle
2. Know what to ―own‖ and what to let go
3. Find quick access to answers when caught in the middle
4. Never violate your position or the trust of the leader
5. Find a way to relieve stress
The Frustration Challenge:
Following an Ineffective Leader Your job isn’t to fix the leader; it’s to add value. If the leader won’t change, then change your attitude or your work address.
Types of Ineffective Leaders
1. Leaders no one wants to follow
2. The Insecure Leader
3. The Visionless Leader
4. The Incompetent Leader
5. The Selfish Leader
6. The Chameleon Leader
7. The Political Leader
8. The Controlling Leader
How to Deal with Ineffective Leaders
1. Develop a solid relationship
2. Identify/Appreciate your leader’s strengths
3. Commit yourself to adding value to your leader’s strengths
4. Get permission to develop a game plan to complement your leader’s weaknesses
5. Expose your leader to good leadership resources
6. Publicly affirm your leader
The Multi-Hat Challenge:
Knowing what hat to wear and when
Depending on where you are in an organization determines how many hats you wear
At the Bottom of an Organization—usually wear only ―one hat‖
At the Top of an Organization—can choose what to do, for example, they can decide on their priorities, they can focus on their strengths, they can direct their time/energy to those things that give the organization the best In the Middle of an Organization—wear many hats daily. The 360° Leader must perform tasks and be well knowledgeable.
How do you handle the Multi– Hat Challenge?
Remember the hat you wear sets the context Don’t use one hat to accomplish a task that is required for another hat
When you change hats, don’t change your personality
Don’t neglect any hat that you are responsible to wear
The Ego Challenge:
Remember to:
Concentrate more on your own duties than your dreams
Appreciate the value of your position
Find satisfaction in knowing the real reason for the success of a project
Embrace the compliments of others in the middle of the pack
Understand the difference between self– promotion and selfless promotion
The Fulfillment Challenge:
Leaders like the front more than the middle (p. 56)
Leaders like to be in the front because:
… the front is the most recognized position
… the view is better
… they get to determine the direction
… they enjoy being in on the action
You can enjoy being in the middle by:
… developing strong relationships with key people
… defining your wins by teamwork
… engaging in non-stop communication
… gaining experience and maturity
… putting the team above your personal success
The Vision Challenge:
Championing the Vision is More Difficult when You Didn’t Create It (P. 64)
How do people respond to this Challenge?
Attack it—criticize and sabotage it!
Ignore it—do your own thing!
Abandon it—leave Champion it—Make it a reality!
Add Value to it—you add value to vision because you contributed to it!
Why do People Fail to Adopt a Vision?
1. They didn’t help create it
2. They don’t understand it
3. They don’t agree with it
4. They don’t know the vision
5. They feel they are not needed in order to achieve it
6. They aren’t ready for it
The Influence Challenge:
The Author believes that this is the most important challenge. Many good leaders believe in their own leadership and believe that they can accomplish their goals with others following them. This does not always happen.
Why? Because leadership is all about influence. If a leader does not have the position or the influence, no one will follow.
Your challenge as a leader is to become a leader other people will want to follow, therefore, people will follow leaders that... they know and who care
They trust
They respect
They can approach
They admire
You cannot antagonize and influence at the same time (p. 75)
The Qualities of an Influencer
Executive Book Summary by Irene Oakes I want a position that will make people follow me to
I want to become a person whom people will want to follow
Poor Leaders demand Respect
Competent leaders command Respect
The Influence Challenge:
The Final Challenge
You cannot antagonize and influence at the same time
Integrity builds relationships on trust
Nurturer cares about people as individuals
Faith believes in people
Listener values what others have to say
Understanding sees from others’ point of view
Enlarging helps others to become bigger
Navigating assists others through difficulties
Connecting initiates positive relationships
Empowering give them the power to lead (p. 79)
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